Mail-box



M. 0. COURTNEY.

MAIL Box.

AFFUCATION FILED DEC. l2. I9l6.

1,307,242, Patented June 17, l9l9.

I: :3f/7 Y l Y y /7 -f /5 r' Specication of Letters Patent.

MAIL-BOX.

Patented June 1'7, 1919.

Application led December 12, 1916. Serial No. 136,578.

T 0 all whom it may] concern.'

Be it known that I, MnRroN O. COURTNEY, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Walter, in the county of Cotton and State of Oklahoma,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to mail boxes, and more particularly tonew and useful improvements in mail boxes of the rural delivery type.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a mail box of the classdescribed wherein upon the insertion of the mail in the box the signalwill automatically raise.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mail box of the classdescribed having a tray pivotally connected to the side walls of the boxand having means associated with one end thereof to limit the movementof the tray.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a mail box of therural delivery type which is simple in construction, that may bemanufactured at a small cost and means associated with one end thereofto provide quick and easy access to the interior of the box.

Other objects and advantages to be derived from the use of my improvedmail box will appear from the following detail description and theclaim, taken with an inspection of the accompanying drawings, in which;-

Figure 1 is a front plan view of one end of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the tray used 'in connection with myinvention, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the fender used in my invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein similar charactersof reference designate like and corresponding parts throughout thevarious views, the box desi gnated B in its entirety is provided withsides 1 and 2 and end sections 3 and 4. A portion of the end 4 isremoved to provide means of access to the box and a closure means isrovided therefor comprising a door 5 havlng the lower edge thereofincised for a purpose which will hereinafter appear, the door beinghingedly connected to the end section 7 which is provided with aplurality of incisions at its upper edge. The tongues thus formed by thelast mentioned incisions are alternatively bent in opposite directions.The tongues bent outwardly are bent to engage a pintle 6. The tonguesformed by the incisions on the lower edge of the door are alternativelycut away and the remaining tongues are bent into engagement with thepintle 6 on the spaced portions thereon, to form the hingedly connectingmeans 6 in conjunction with the tongues on the section 7, the othertongues on said section being cut away.

A tray T is pivotally mounted in the sides 2 and 3, in the bearings 9 bymeans of a shaft 10 mounted transversely of the tray, forming a long andshort arm 8 and 8 respectively. The shaft is retained on the tray bymeans of a fastening means 11 or some similar connecting staple.

A fender designated F in its entirety comprises a bearing bar 13pivotally connected to the end 3 by means of fastening loops 14. Aplurality of parallel fingers extending laterally of the bearing arm areadapted to engage the tray. The said fingers serving to prevent mail orother small packages from wedging in the end 3 and also to prevent anyweight being placed on the short arm 8.

My signaling device comprises a metallic Staif 15 having one end thereofprovided with a transverse strip 17 to provide a signal means and alsoto limit the downward movement of the short arm 8 upon the removal ofthe mail. The free end of the staff extends through an opening in theshort arm and has a right angular portion 16 formed on the said end andextended through the tray and bent into engagement with the uppersurface thereof to retain the staff in rigid position.

The tray is normally held in a slanting position with the arm 8 raised.Upon the insertion of a letter 18 or other package on the long arm, theweight thereof causes the tray to assume the slanting position as shownin Fig. 3.

It is to be noted that when an article is deposited on the tray theslanting position assumed causes the article inserted to slide to thefront of the same thus facilitating the removal of the said articles andthe accurate operation of my signal.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it is thought that a clear and comprehensive understanding ofthe construction, operation and advantages of my invention may be had,and while I have shown and described my invention embodying a specicstructure, I desire that it be understood that I maymake such changes onsaid structure as do not depart from the spirit and scope of theinvention as described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

A mail box comprising a housing, a tray pivotally mounted off-center inthe housing to provide relatively long and short end portions for thetray, a signal extending from the shorter end portion of the traythrough the housing and serving to yieldably hold the tray in a normalposition, and a guard pivoted at one end to one wall of the housingabove the shorter end portion of the tray and extending downwardly at anincline and having its free end loosely engaged with said tray at apoint adjacent the pivotal mounting thereof.

In testimony whereof,I aiiix my signature hereto.

MER-ION O. COURTNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 2D. G.

